


shine, shimmer, and glow

by miiniwa



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 06:06:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10457121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miiniwa/pseuds/miiniwa
Summary: "If it's tails, then today's the day," Subaru mutters to himself, staring intensely at the shiny coin pinched between his fingers.He holds it up against the sunlight filtering from one of the hallway windows, as if it'll make the decision any more important, before flipping the coin.





	

**Author's Note:**

> *emerges from my personal hell of ritsumao and chiamido to post a subahoku / subahokke thing* (what is ?? their ship name ?)

"If it's tails, then today's the day," Subaru mutters to himself, staring intensely at the shiny coin pinched between his fingers.

 

He holds it up against the sunlight filtering from one of the hallway windows, as if it'll make the decision any more important, before flipping the coin.

 

He catches the coin onto his hand, slowly opening one eye, before he sees that the coin had landed on heads.

 

Subaru heaves out a long sigh, mostly relieved as he quietly tucks the coin into his back pocket, not really knowing why or how he had come to tell himself that he would confess to Hokuto if the coin ever landed on tails.

 

_I guess in the end, I'm still just a kid_ , Subaru quietly shrugs to himself, slightly distracted by the bright sunlight outside.

 

"There you are, Akehoshi."

 

He flinches in his spot, probably a little too much, and turns to face Hokuto, whose brow is raised in genuine curiosity, most likely puzzled by his exaggerated reaction.

 

"You seriously scared me, Hokke! I wasn't trying to skip out on today's test, if that's what you were thinking," Subaru says quickly, before Hokuto can tuck in any interrogations, and he wonders if he seems convincing enough.

 

"That actually _is_ what I was thinking, because class starts in two minutes, and you're not in front of my desk trying to ask me for the main points that you should remember," Hokuto tells him, arms crossed.

 

"Would you believe me if I said that I actually studied a lot this time?" Subaru asks him, crossing a finger behind his back.

 

"That would make for a pretty nice miracle," Hokuto replies, smiling lightly at him, and Subaru feels a tiny twist in his chest, just slightly caught off guard.

 

"Hey, have more faith in me, Hokke," Subaru says, playing everything off with a laugh.

 

"Sure, if we get to class on time," Hokuto replies, swiftly turning around in the direction of the classroom, with Subaru following closely behind him, reluctantly, carefully, taking short glances at his back, quietly wondering what exactly had made him so special to him in the first place.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

Subaru had realized that he had fallen in love with Hokuto while they had been studying together, doing nothing special or out of the ordinary.

 

Subaru had been taking a secret break from his work, pencil aimlessly floating above his paper while pretending to write, when he had glanced over at Hokuto for not much of any reason, and somehow, Subaru's chest had gone light, and he had realized that he — plain, in short, and with the least amount of words he could use — had fallen in love with him.

 

Within those few seconds of glancing over at Hokuto, and seeing how his hair would shine a brighter shade of blue when the light of the sunset pouring from the window angled against it just right, a multitude of certain moments had hit Subaru, which he hadn't even been aware had piled up to that point.

 

He liked the way Hokuto would be able to perfectly distinguish whether or not Subaru had understood that day's lesson in class, even if he had put on his most convincing smile.

 

He liked the way Hokuto would subconsciously begin humming a harmony along with him whenever he found himself singing for no reason while washing dishes or rolling around on his bed.

 

He liked the way Hokuto would hand him the shiniest coins from his spare change, and how the warmth from his hand would brush lightly against his, and somehow remain there for extra minutes of duration.

 

When Subaru had suddenly realized all of that, and more, he had pressed his face against the table, feeling mostly overheated.

 

"Akehoshi, it's too early to be taking a break," Hokuto had told him, after a swift glance from his paper, and Subaru had muttered incoherent things under his breath, pencil still scraping against his homework.

 

_This is the person I started liking_ , is the thought that had fleetingly gone through his head, and he had spent the rest of that afternoon continuing to pretend that he had been doing his homework, with Hokuto inevitably scolding him multiple times, and besides the fact that he had realized that he had fallen in love, it's a mostly typical afternoon.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

It shouldn't have bothered him that much, is what Subaru had tried to tell himself for the following weeks, because even though he had realized that he had fallen for one of the closest people to him, Hokuto himself would still be acting the same as usual.

 

Hokuto would still bother him about studying together, would still hum harmonies along with him, and would still hand him the shiniest coins from his spare change, simply because those things had become a norm between them.

 

Subaru had realized that, yet even so, to him, everything had still felt somewhat strange.

 

And so, feeling as if something needed to change, Subaru had started to act differently himself, despite trying his honest best to stay the same.

 

"Akehoshi."

 

Subaru jolts lightly at the familiar voice, much more familiar than he would like, before he glances up and sees Hokuto, handing him a small carton of juice.

 

"Oh, thanks," he tells him, nearly nodding to himself at the fact that he had sounded pretty normal, as he takes the juice from him.

 

"Yeah, practice was a little longer than usual, so I figured that might help. Ah, and there's this too," Hokuto says, fishing a bit in his back pocket before he extends his hand back out.

 

Hokuto drops two shiny coins onto Subaru's palm, hand just barely touching his, and Subaru flinches, dropping one of the coins onto the floor.

 

"Oops," Subaru says, a fake laugh leaving his lips as he reaches to pick it up, stopping when he realizes that Hokuto had moved before him.

 

"Really, if you're that tired, just say something," Hokuto sighs, placing the coin on the desk this time, with the coin turned onto the tails side, and Subaru blinks, sparkles and light glares seemingly clouding his vision when he remembers the day he had immaturely told himself that he would confess if the coin he flipped landed on tails.

 

"I wish that were the reason," Subaru mutters, and Hokuto raises a brow, unable to hear him.

 

"Sorry, Hokke," Subaru says, looking up from his desk and smiling at him, but somehow, it seems to hurt.

 

"...It's not a problem," Hokuto replies, eyes steady, with the same kind of look he has on whenever he's studying, and Subaru continues to smile at him.

 

Eventually, Hokuto sighs, most likely deciding to address it later on, before he turns to pick up his school bag, and Subaru sighs, not realizing until then that he had slightly been holding his breath.

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

The train ride home is much quieter than usual, with only bits of small talk between them, and Subaru wonders just how long he'll be able to keep this up.

 

Once they're off the train, Subaru walks at a slightly faster pace, trying to decide on the best way to time his excuse about needing to buy something at the supermarket or something of that sort.

 

"Hey, Hokke"—

 

"Let's stop by here for a minute," Hokuto cuts him off, a partly annoyed look on his face, as if he had known that Subaru had been planning on making them go home separately, as he points over to the small hill overlooking the river that cuts through the town, a spot that they would sometimes sit at after school during their first year with some of their other classmates.

 

"If it's only for a minute," Subaru tells him, feigning cheerfulness as he follows Hokuto to the hill, sneaking short, occasional glances at the back of his head, before he wonders why he has to feel so secretive about it anyway.

 

They take a seat atop the grass, already a medium green, and it only serves to remind Subaru even more that it's springtime, that it's been a while since he's realized that he likes the person sitting right next to him.

 

"You haven't been acting like yourself lately," Hokuto comments, keeping his gaze strictly ahead, and Subaru glances over at him, thoughtfully, somehow knowing that he would say those exact words to him.

 

"I just have a lot going on," Subaru shrugs, deciding that he probably doesn't have to tell him now, even if the coin had technically landed on tails, because in the end, it had just been his own immature will.

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he can tell that Hokuto is now looking at him, trying to figure out some type of meaning from his words, before he finally turns and faces the scenery of the river again.

 

Subaru decides to do the same, gaze finally lifting up from the grass and towards the river ahead, breath hitching when a bright light catches his eyes.

 

Somehow, he's able to keep his eyes wide open at the colors that suddenly flood his vision, a mass of warm yellows, oranges, and reds that seems to get caught in his eyes, and it takes a few seconds for him to realize that it's the shades of the sunset reflecting off the river in front of them.

 

His gaze softens at the next following realization that the reflection seems to give off a comforting shimmer and glow, or maybe, he thinks, it's because of the person who has always been keeping him company.

 

"It's shiny, right?" Hokuto speaks up, quick to take note that Subaru had noticed it.

 

"...Yeah," he mutters back, because it's all he can manage at the moment.

 

_Now that I think about it_... Subaru frowns, trying to think back to all the times they had gone to sit in this spot after school.

 

His brows furrow, as he remembers that during all those occasions, he had either been upset or sulking about something.

 

With that, he realizes that Hokuto had been intentionally bringing him to that spot to comfort him with the bright gleam of the sunset's reflection, since their first year (and that he, unsurprisingly, hadn't noticed it until now).

 

_Which means, he's always been looking_ — Subaru turns to face him, and Hokuto blinks in surprise at the sudden movement, sparks of orange colors reflecting off both of their eyes.

 

"You're amazing, Hokke," Subaru tells him, smiling softly, and still quietly in love.

 

There's a short look of confusion in Hokuto's gaze, before he eventually smiles back at him, and it's an image Subaru wants to keep in his mind for as long as he can.

 

"Well, since I'm feeling a lot better now, let's head home!" Subaru says suddenly, standing up and stretching his arms out.

 

"I know you really like shiny objects, but I didn't think that you would be _this_ simple minded," Hokuto sighs, and Subaru grins at him, deciding to hold onto the fact that most of it had been due to his presence.

 

"You can't really blame the things that make me happy," Subaru tells him, carefree as he stuffs his hands into his pockets.

 

_For now, for just a little bit longer_ — Subaru thinks, looking over at Hokuto as he starts suggesting that they should study that day's lesson together.

 

_I'll keep this secret and happiness to myself_ , he tells himself, holding onto the coins in his pocket, somehow comforting, and somehow warm.

**Author's Note:**

> i thought about hokuto quietly trying his best to comfort subaru whenever his mood would be off, and that one day when he was walking back home by himself, he noticed that the sunset reflects off the river a lot and then told himself that he definitely wanted to show it to subaru. something...like that
> 
> most active at: https://twitter.com/kuuroken


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